Entertainment

The Season 14 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast Has a Future Business Leader in Its Midst — Though More Arsenio Than Trump

Celebrity Apprentice is in it's seventh season this year... seriously. A show that actively features Donald Trump, C to E-list celebrities, and constant reminders that all of this shadiness is in the name of charity has made it through six winners with another on the way. The Season 14 Celebrity Apprentice cast stands as a good of a chance as any to produce the next Arsenio Hall or Trace Adkins; among its ranks are two Housewives, a mustachioed journalist, a Jonas brother, an Olympian, and many more... let's get to know everyone who will be throwing pies at each other and making suggestive Tide commercials this season, shall we?

Image: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

by Jodi Walker

Vivica A. Fox

With a list of credits that includes Kill Bill and Sharknado 2: The Second One, Vivica A. Fox is a bonafide celebrity. I spent most of my childhood thinking that Vivica A. Fox and Jamie Foxx were married (they were both big in the ’90s, after all), but despite that lingering disappointment, I still know that ol’ Viv will be a force to be reckoned with in the boardroom. Fox is playing for a Best Buddies International, a charity that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities find friendship, employment, and development opportunities.

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Shawn Johnson

In addition to being an Olympian gold medalist and three-time silver medalist, Shawn Johnson has followed up her gymnast career with another winning run in reality television. Johnson won the eighth season of Dancing With the Stars and placed second in the All-Star 15th season, so she knows a little something about holding her own amid a bunch of “celebrity” egos. Johnson is playing for a charity that was started in her own elementary school, Character Counts in Iowa, which promotes six pillars of character to Iowans: character, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

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Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens is an award-winning, record-breaking, pop-culture-dwelling former NFL wide receiver. In his 15 seasons with the NFL, Owens played for the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills, Bengals, and Seahawks before retiring to write children’s books (Little T Learns To Share), model with Next Modeling Agency, and pursue a number of philanthropic endeavors. Among them, Owens is playing for Boys & Girls Clubs of America which provides positive programs and services to help kids develop ”a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and influence.”

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Lorenzo Lamas

Lorenzo Lamas may have never made it to the A-list, but in his acting career, he’s always gone big in his acting career: He got his start at 19-years-old playing Tom Chisum in Grease, went on to spend nine years on nighttime soap Falcon Crest, and filmed 110 episodes of Renegade — a (pleasantly ridiculous) show that he helped create and produce. Lamas is playing for Boot Campaign, a charity that provides assistance to active and retired service members.

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Kenya Moore

Kenya Moore will tell you she’s an actress, but history will tell you that Kenya is a reality TV star. Yes, she’s credited in a few films like Waiting to Exhale and Deliver Us From Eva, but Moore is best known for playing herself on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She has recently established Moore Vision Media and is launching Moore Hair by Kenya this year, endeavors I’m sure Donald Trump can’t wait to get some stake in. Moore is playing for Detroit Public Schools Foundation which raises money and resources for value-added programs for public schools in Moore’s own hometown of Detroit.

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Leeza Gibbons

Leeza Gibbons is the TV host with the most, sporting a quarter-century hosting career that includes Entertainment Tonight, her own daytime talk show, Leeza, My Generation on PBS which won her an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host, and America Now, alongside first Apprentice spawn himself, Bill Rancic. GIbbons is playing for the charity she created in honor of her mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, Leeza’s Care Connection, which provides support for caregivers of someone with a memory disorder, chronic illness and/or progressive illness.

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Keshia Knight Pulliam

Keshia Knight Pulliam is America’s kid sister — already with a prestigious modeling and Sesame Street career under her belt, Pulliman scored the role of Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show at just five-years-old. She remains the youngest actress ever nominated for an Emmy Award, earning a nomination for her portrayal of Rudy at six-years-old.

Pulliman was fired from Celebrity Apprentice in the first episode for failing to draw on all of her celebrity friends for donations as Project Manager. She was playing for her own philanthropy, Kamp Kizzy, a camp in Atlanta that brings 11-16 year olds together to work on their empowerment and self-esteem, and encourage them to dream big.

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Geraldo Rivera

As a person from a certain younger generation, I used to think Geraldo Rivera was just a funny SNL skit. But no, Rivera is a very real reporter, with very real accolades, who will be very excited to tell you all about them. He will do so by referring to himself as “Geraldo Rivera.” In his career, Rivera has reported on seven wars, gotten exclusive interviews with Fidel Castro and Charles Manson, and three Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards. Rivera is playing for Life’s WORC, an organization that facilitates community-based homes for individuals with developmental disabilities and autism.

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Johnny Damon

Along with Babe Ruth, Johnny Damon is one of just a handful of baseball players to ever win a World Series with both the Red Sox and the Yankees. Damon’s 18-season MLB career, which he has yet to officially retire from, saw him become only the 11th player ever to have 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 homers and 2,500 hits. Damon is playing for his own charity, The Johnny Damon Foundation, which donates to many charitable organizations that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children at risk.

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Gilbert Gottfried

As a comedian, Gilbert Gottfried has done it all: stand-up, Saturday Night Live, Disney (Iago in Aladdin, duh), and a whole heap of sequels like Beverly Hills Cop II, Look Who’s Talking II, and Problem Child II.

At least improving from his first-episode exit on Season 2 of Rachael Vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, Gottfried was eliminated from Celebrity Apprentice in the third episode. He was playing for Autism Speaks which increases awareness, funds research, and advocates for the needs of individuals with autism.

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Brandi Glanville

Brandi Glanville is a former successful runway and print model, but in recent years has become most known for her high profile divorce from Eddie Cibrian and subsequent casting on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Glanville is known for her I’m-just-being-honest antics on among her Housewife peers, which are sure to translate — likely with less Pinot Grigio — to the boardroom. Glanville is playing for Make-A-Wish which grants wishes for children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions.

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Kate Gosselin

Kate Gosselin is yet another celebrity that reality television built; her television career began when she was a simple registered nurse who happened to have just had sextuplets, in addition to already born twins, with her now ex-husband, Jon. After their family was featured in several Discover Health Channel specials, they got their own weekly show, Jon and Kate Plus 8 which aired for five years. In the rather dramatic aftermath of the show that led to the name change, Kate Plus 8, Gosselin has become an author and competed on the 10th season of Dancing With the Stars. Gosselin is playing for Camp Barnabas, a Christian camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses and their siblings.

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Ian Ziering

Ian Ziering is the C-list celebrity triefecta: graduate of Beverly Hills, 90210, Dancing With the Stars semi-finalist, star of Sharknado and Sharknado 2: The Second One. As far as staying on the map without totally tarnishing your reputation, there is only one step left for Ziering to complete is Celebrity Bingo Card: Celebrity Apprentice winner. Ziering is playing for Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, an organization dedicated to studying and finding a cure for EB.

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Jamie Anderson

It’s hard to believe Jamie Anderson can snowboard so gracefully with all that gold hanging around her neck. At just 15-years-old, Anderson became the youngest Winter X Games medalist, and became the youngest Women’s World Tour Winner at 19. She won the ESPY award for Best Female Action Athlete in 2012 and got her Olympic gold medal at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Now, at 24, she’s competing on Celebrity Apprentice for her charity Protect Our Winters which aims to encourage the winter sports community to be leaders in the fight against climate change.

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Sig Hansen

Sig Hansen is not your average celebrity — he’s a fourth-generation fisherman, and if you know what’s food for you, you’ll address him as “Captain.” Hansen a featured captain on hit (and terrifying) show, Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch. Hansen is playing for Coast Guard Foundation, and organization dedicated to supporting the men and women of the Coast Guard and their families.

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Kevin Jonas

You may know Kevin Jonas as the elder statesman of the Jonas Brothers, but these days, Jonas pitches himself as a certified digital entrepreneur. Frankly, Jonas has a lot of interests: in addition to having his own show with his wife on E!, Married to Jonas, he was featured on as a contractor with his business JonasWerner Homes on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and has been busy developing mobile apps.

Unfortunately, his love of business wasn’t long for the Celebrity Apprentice life, and he was eliminated in the second episode after his team lost with him in the Project Manager seat. Jonas was playing for Convoy of Hope, a humanitarian-relief organization that the Jonas family has been involved with for years.

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